Incubator.



. Petaluma, in the county of IJYMAN C. BYCE, OF PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO PETALUMA INCUBATOR VCO., OF' PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.v

INCUBATOR.

To all whom; t may concern Be it known that'I, LYMAN C. BYOE, a citizen of the United States, residingy at Sonoma and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in lncubators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to incubators. j The object of this inventionis to provide an incubator involving means for the economical, 'practical and reliable circulation and heating of air in the incubator; to provide`means for controlling the inlet of air;

means whereby a certain volume of air may be continuously circulated throughout the incubator; `to provide means for the admission of heated-fresh air tothe incubator kwithout including any of the gases of combustion; and to provide an incubator in which the humidity of the circulating air is under perfect control.

' forated damper plate.

` with a double bottom The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combinationof parts, as hereinafter more fully described `and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the incubator. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the irregular line 2-2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a fragment of the heat distributer ofthe incubator. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the lamp supporting bracket. Fig. n5 is a side elevation in partial sectionof the subway controller. Fig. 6' is a'plan view of the per- -Fig. 7 is Va planjview of they damper. Y .l s

In the present embodiment 'of my invention, A represents thewalls or casing of an` incubator which is here shown as provided 2, forming va channel or subway 3, into which air may be admitted from the interior 4 of the incubator through a transverse screened opening "5 formed in one end of the incubator.

6Ywith' a suitably disposed tubular connection 7 which is here shown as beingsecured to the cylindrical a portion of a suitable heater, as indicated at 9 and which has an interiori flue 10l open at its bottom to receive heated gases genei'lated Bat,- ing device 1l supported adjacent the bottom .of the heater 9, on an appropriate bracket Specification of Letters Patent. Application led December 5 1910. Serial No. 595,655.y

The 'subway communicates through a port or passagewayV heatery casing 8, forming Patented Apr. 9, 1912.

along a back plate or hanger 13 suitably secured to the end of theincubator.

The warmed gas from the heating device 11 ascends through central fiue 10 and escapes into an annular chamber 14, which` is i2. The bracket i2 is Siidabiy adjust-abi@ l closed at its upper end and located exterior i to the heater casing 8, and the gas passes out through an outlet 15 formed on one side of the jacket 8a. Between the interior of the heater wall 8 andthe exterior of the flue 10, there is formed an annular chamber 16, which communicates at its lower end with the branch 7, and which is'provided at its upper end withk another branch 17 projecting through the back plate 18, to which it may be secured in through the end wall of the i thereof. l

Preferably the open end of the flue or branch 17 of the heater terminates above a water tray` 18, which is shown in Fig. 2 as being divided into three compartments, and as heated air ows from the branch 17 and over the'water pans 18 a suitable percentage of moistureis absorbed by the air. To prevent theair which arisesy from the heating chamber 16 which surrounds the flue 10 and passes into the incubator through the branch 4, from radiating or diffusing too rapidly, and thus abnormally heating the adjacent end' of the incubator, Ihave lprovided a flue or distributer formed of a `trough 19 having perforated or foraminous walls 20- which extend lengthwise ofthe incubator and betweenwhich the flue '17 -dis charges the heated. air. By this means the air isA prevented from immediately disseminating and is conveyedentirely across the incubator in the trough'19, escaping through 'the vertical side kwalls 20, which, if desired,

maybe made of netting of suitable mesh; When the heated air accumulates in .the chamber 4,'of the incubator a circulation is caused bythe heating of the air in the chamber/.1.6,` and" which .is vthenl discharged through theflue 17 into the incubator, and

there isa tendency of the air in the branch 7 to iioat into the lower portion of the chambel 16; i l j' l For, thepurpose of controlling Ya flow or vcirculation of air through the incubator, I

have mounted in the outer end of the branch 7, and just below the port 6,V which communicates with the subway 3', a controller 21 ncubator and opening to the interior` tion of the heated air which has a snug working fit in the branch 7 and is provided at its outer end with a screen 22 through which may be drawn fresh, pure air from the atmosphere to fill the inner chamber 16.

The controller 21 is perforated at 23, forming a port or opening which may be turned into registration with t-he port 6 in the bottom of the incubator so that a porwithin the subway 3 may flow downwardly through the ports 6 and 23 into the branch 7 when the controller 21 has been so revolved in the branch as to bring its port into registration with the complementary port 6.

If desired to admit fresh, pure air to the heater and incubator, the contro-ller 21 is turned to the position shown in Fig. 1,

lthereby preventing the circulation of air through the port 6 and causing all of the air to be drawn in through the screen 22 to pass thence through the branch 7 into the annular air-containing chamber 16, from which it passes in al heated condition, due to contact with the heat tiue 10, escaping finally through the branch 17 into the distributer-trough 19.

The adjustment of the controller 21 will be varied according to the loca-tion or region in which the incubator is being operated, and also varies in the same locality, according to the percentage of moisture in the atmosphere, and it may be sometimes desirable to so turn the controller 21 that its port 23 will fully open with the port 6, and when the controller 21 is in this position there will be a constant circulation of heated air from the discharge branch 17 into the incubator, from which it will pass downwardly from the screened opening 5 into the subway 3, thence down through port 6, through branch 7, and arises to be again heated in the chamber 16. When one body of air is so continuously circulated through the incubator, it will derive its moisture, in appropriate degree, from the water pans 18, which are provided for this purpose. Located at a suitable distan-ce above the bottom 2 of the incubator, is an egg tray 24, below which are disposed a suitable number of nursery baskets 25 into which the chicks hatched in the incubator may repose.

As shown in Fig. 2, the subway 3 is divided into two compartments by a central Wall 26 tending to guide the circulation of air and lead it forwardly toward the port 6 in the bottom wall 2, and when the controller 21 has been nearly or entirely closed, the air travels forwardly, as indicated by the arrows a, through the subway 3, and rises through vertical passageways 27 formed in the end of the incubator adjacent the heater, the discharge of air from the passageways 27 being controlled by damper plates or ventilators 28, which are secured over openings 29 in the end of the incubator which communicate with the passageways 27. Each of the ventilators 28 is provided with a plurality of perforations 30, over which may be moved a damper cover 31, pivoted at 32 upon the damper box 28, and provided with a series of openings 33 which may be moved into registration with the openings 30 of the damper box, thus allowing a free escape of the air from the subway 3 and flues 27. By turning the damper 31 a suitable number of the openings 30 in the damper box 28 may be covered, and if desired to allow only a small percentage of air to flow out of the incubator the dampers may be so turned upon the damper boxes 28 as to allow a single perforation 34 to register with one of the perforations 30.

As shown in Fig. 4, the back plate 13 is provided with longitudinal ianges 13 along its edges, which cause the body of the back pla-te 13 to stand at a suitable distance from the end of the incubator and provide an air space between them so that the end of the incubator cannot become heated by radiated heat from the heater 9, and in order to adjust the elevation of the heating device or lamp 10 with relation to the heater, the bracket 12 may be moved into position upon its supporting back plate 13, and latched thereon by means 0f an appropriate locking device, as a latch 35, pivoted upon the back plate 13 and adapted to encounter a rivet or pin head 36 secured upon the lamp bracket 12 and projecting through a slot 37 formed in the back plate 13. Fresh air is admitted to the heater through the fresh air controller 21 which, it will be noticed, is located at the bottom end of the heat-er project-ing through the back plate and underneath the incubator chamber. The opening to the fresh air controller is covered with fine wire, gauze, or other suitable material, serving as a filter of all the air that passes through t-he heater and to the egg chamber 4. The point of entrance of the fresh air is, therefore, some distance from the lamp, and it is impossible for any odor of the lamp to enter the fresh air passage in this apparatus. As the air passes up through the heater it is properly warmed and then discharged into the egg chamber, over and around the eggs, thence through the screened passageway 5, vand into the subway or space between the double floors, thence upward througlnthe channels in the end of the incubator and out through the ventilation dampers or caps 28.

The circulation of air through the incubator, and its humidity, are under perfect control of the operator, and may be varied to suit conditions. For example, there are localities where the humidity of the atmosphere is so great that the full iiow of air through the fresh air controller may be admitted to the egg chamber and all of ythe openings in the ventilators 28 left open; in other places the percentage of humidity is less, hence the subway controller is opened ,and a portion of the already warmed air of ythe egg chamber is Y leys of tropical and semi-tropical countries where the air is greatly rarefied with low humidity, it may be necessary to not only have the subway open, but, as an additional means of retaining humidity in the air chamber, to close all but one of the openings in each ,of the ventilators 28, and provide means for additional humidity, as by the water pans 18.

'Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. An incubator having a suit-able casing, an incubating chamber, a heating device, a subway formed in the bottom wall of the casing, an exterior connection between the subway and said heating device, and a unitary controller of heated and fresh air adjustably mounted in the inlet end of said exterior connection.

2. An incubator having a suitable casing and a subway formed in its bottom wall, a jacketed air heating device `having its jacket connected to the `incubator to discharge heated air .into its interior, connections between said subway and the jacket of the heater, and controlling devices mounted in the inlet end of said connection, said controlling devices comprising a movable tube having a port adapted to open communication between the inlet end of said connections and the outlet from the subway.

3. An incubator comprising a suitable cas ing provided with a subway in its bottom wall, a jacketed air heating device, a hotair iiue connected to the upper end of the heating device to discharge air into the incubator, connections between the bottom of the incubator and the heater to allow air to flow from the subway tothe jacket of the heater, and means controlling the movement of air from the subway to the heating device.

4C. An incubator comprising a suitable cas-` ing provided with a subway in its bottom wall, a jacketed air heating device, a hotair flue connected to the upper end of the heating device to discharge air into the incubator, connections between the bottom of the incubator and the heater to allow air to flow from the subway to the jacket of the heater, and a controller through which freshV air may be admitted to the connections with the lower end of the subway, said controller being movably mounted 1n said connections and having a port adapted yto be brought intoand out of register with the subway, to Y admit heated air from the latter to said con nections.

5. An incubator having 4a double bottom forming a subway or chamber, screened openings in one end of the incubator allowing the passage of air from vthe interior of the incubator to the subway, and unitary means co-ntrolling the circulation of both heated andk fresh air through the subway.

6. An incubator comprising a suitable casing having 'a subway formed in its bottom wall, iues communicating with said subway, screened ports allowing the circulation ot air from the interior of the incubator to said subway, dampers or ventilators controlling the movement of air from said lues, a jacketed air heater, and connections between jacket space of said air heater and the incubator, one of said connections being adapted to communicate with said subway and being valve-controlled.

7 An incubator comprising a suitable casing having a subway formed in its bottom wall, flues communicating with said subway, screened ports allowing the circulation of air from the interior of the incubator to said subway,y dampers or ventilators controlling the movement of air from said lues, an air heater, connections between said air heater and the incubator,one of said connections being adapted to communicate with said subway, and means for controlling the communication of the subway and the said connection, said means including an adjustable controller fresh air may be drawn into the heater.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LYMAN C. BVYCE.

Witnesses I-I. It. CAMPBELL, C. linen.

copies of this patent may be obtained for vecents each, by addressing the Gommissoner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

through which both heated andv 

